Nico Rosberg has warned that Mercedes' issues with rear tyre degradation are unlikely to be solved at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

Despite taking pole position at the last two races, Rosberg still hasn't finished higher than fourth this year, and that was at the Malaysian Grand Prix where he started sixth. However, Mercedes is among the favourites this weekend as Monaco is easier on tyres than the last two circuits and another pole position would allow its drivers to control the race from the front.

Asked if there was added pressure with the prospect of winning this weekend, Rosberg said it actually made him more confident but stressed that the tyre issues could still be a factor.

"Maybe there is less pressure," he said. "In other races I have the knowledge that it is going to be massively difficult and here it will be a little bit less difficult if I was to start somewhere towards the front.

"But our race pace is not sorted yet. We might have made some progress but it's still a problem that we have and it's not going to go away from one race to the next."

Rosberg, who grew up in Monaco, said the circuit is extra special for him.

"It's very strange to be in my home where I've lived all my life and I get up in the morning and there's my overalls hanging up in the bathroom," he added. "So I'm putting on my overalls to drive my Silver Arrow on the way to school, because the tunnel was my way to school that I took every single day of my life when I was younger. That's a strange feeling but a very cool feeling, especially with all my friends and family here as well."

The International Rugby Board (IRB) have stripped Australia of the right to host a round of the World Sevens Series, scheduled for Brisbane on 16-17 February, after the Australian government's refusal to provide visas for the squad from Fiji